Keystone – Your Monumental Playground! | Black Hills & Badlands

Duration:

4 Days

If you come to the Black Hills of South Dakota, we’re pretty sure you’re not allowed to leave without saying “Hello & Goodbye!” to those famous faces on Mount Rushmore. We’re also confident your visit won’t be complete without staying at least four or five nights in the “key” to your “monumental playground”—Keystone! Here, you will find a great variety of lodging choices—everything from tent and RV camping, hotels and motels, unique bed and breakfasts, quaint lodges, vacation homes and more. The Keystone Chamber of Commerce has many on their website. Regardless of the type of accommodation you select, when you stay in Keystone, you are centrally located to all there is to see and do in the Mount Rushmore area!

One of the best ways to get around the area is by a "scooter"! Rent one at Black Hills Scootours. Located in Keystone just across from the Visitor Center, you'll see the scooters lined up outside - just waiting for you to jump on and go exploring! Convenient, easy to right and easy to park, it's a fun addition to your "Monumental" adventure.

Day 1

Explore the monumental history of Keystone. Pick up a walking tour brochure from the friendly folks at the visitor center—located at the one (and only) stoplight in town. Make sure to visit the Keystone Historical Society Museum located in the old school house. Did you know that Carrie Ingalls (younger sister to Laura Ingalls Wilder), moved to Keystone in 1911? She lived, worked and raised her step-children here. You will discover a lot of her story at the museum.

Of course the area has a rich mining history as well. Celebrating their 60th Anniversary, Big Thunder Gold Mine allows you to stretch your imagination and take a step back in time. The route is completely handicapped accessible. Knowledgeable guides will entertain you with stories about that mine as well as others nearby. If you want to experience the full impact of mining or panning for yourself, reserve a full- or half-day “claim tour”! You’ll be taken through the Black Hills where you’re sure to see a lot of wildlife along the way to your “claim.” Once done with your touring, plan to have lunch at the Big Thunder Family Bar & Grille. Enjoy a quick bite on the deck or relax in the dining area inside. Make sure to try a specialty “wild” item! Expertly prepared wild game is served, featuring everything from elk to rattlesnake. The wild game brat comes highly recommended!

Your day isn’t complete without a meal at the Ruby House. Fashioned after an old-time house of ill repute, they serve delicious lunches and dinners. Plan to catch one of the “shoot-outs” in the Red Garter Saloon right next door. On down the road a bit and around the corner, another must-see is the Keystone Cemetery. Rated as one of the top 100 most haunted cemeteries in the U.S., it’s “laid-out” in the shape of a coffin! Another unique feature, it’s the only cemetery where its “residents” rest with a view of Mount Rushmore!

Ready to do some unique shopping? Turn at the only stop light in town onto the Old Hill City Road... Go just a few miles and on your left you'll find Black Hills Glass Blowers. Artisans Peter Hopkins & Gail Damin create beautiful pieces of art by blowing and tooling hot glass into vases, bowls, goblets, and paperweights in an array of form and color. They also lampwork figurines, animals, flowers, ornaments by using a torch to melt glass rods and tubes. Visitors can often see the blowing process or lampworking technique and shop a beautiful selection of art glass and figurines.

Return to stroll along the Keystone boardwalk, shop in the many gift stores there or have an old-time photo taken. Try your golfing skills at Holy Terror Mini-Golf. You're guarnteed to "strike gold" in fun and laughter! Then just sit back and enjoy a glass of wine at Grapes & Grinds right next door as the first day of your adventure winds down.

Day 2

You’re in for a “monumental” adventure today! Begin at Rushmore Tramway Adventures - where you can ride on the Scenic Chair Lift, fly downhill on the Alpine Slide, jump and climb through the pines at the Aerial Park, and have fun on the NEW Tubing Hill! Experience the Pinnacle Zip Tour - a two-hour guided tour from granite peaks, over valleys, and through the Ponderosa Pines. This is the only zipline tour in the world that includes spectacular views of Mount Rushmore, and it's epic! After being thrilled in this unique Black Hills playground, kick back at the peak and enjoy the simple pleasure of a walk through the beautiful gardens at Mountain Top Grille. This adventure can last just a couple of hours or a full day!

Continue the thrill-seeking mode a few miles out of town... Experience family fun on all levels at Rush Mountain Adventure Park! Go underground and discover amazing formations carved by nature on a guided tour through Rushmore Cave. Above ground, fly through the sky on the unique 2 seated Soaring Eagle Zipride, and see who's got the fastest shot in the west in a "shoot-out" at the Gunslinger 7D interactive ride. Find more thrills on the Rushmore Mountain Coaster as you cruise the rails through trees, pigtail turns and whoops in a 1 or 2-person cart where you control the speed and the excitement! Opening in 2018, the NEW Wingwalker Challenge Course will encourage kids of all ages to harness up and try their skills at multiple over-the-ground obstacles. It's a mountain of family fun!

For a little more laid-back thrill, climb aboard the 1880 Train at the Keystone depot. Experience a steam engine powered, two-hour round trip that follows the original route of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad between Keystone and Hill City. In the late 1800s, trains brought miners and supplies to both towns. Watch out for train robbers along the way!

After the excitement of the day, return to Keystone and delight in a great dinner at the Powder House Restaurant. Known for their excellent Prime Rib, we guarantee you’ll enjoy a delicious meal in a cozy setting.

Day 3

Day 4

Today, it’s all about “The Faces” – A “monumental” day, indeed! Start off learning all about past presidents at the Presidential Wax Museum in Keystone. See life-like, life-size figures of all U.S. Presidents in authentic period costumes and accurately detailed surroundings. It’s sure to put you in a patriotic mood! Stroll across the street to the Rushmore Borglum Story for a step inside the mind of the carver of Mount Rushmore. This unique stop features many works of art from Gutzon Borglum and his son Lincoln Borglum. Learn the story behind the man and how he came to be the “chosen one” for this monumental undertaking.

After a long, relaxing lunch anywhere in Keystone, take the 2-mile drive up the hill to Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Plan to arrive no later than 6 p.m. and take a Mount Rushmore Self-Guided Tour. This award-winning tour incorporates narration, music, interviews, sound effects and historic recordings of Gutzon Borglum, Lincoln Borglum, American Indians, and workers. It truly is a step back in time. The gift shop, as well as the bookstores at Mount Rushmore, are filled with perfect take-home items. Of course, you’ll find t-shirts, magnets, and keychains, but you’ll also discover beautiful works of art, unique books of the area, and a wide selection of Black Hills Gold!

A great meal can be found at the newly remodeled Carver’s Café at Mount Rushmore. From locally sourced buffalo burgers and brats to a plated dinner, wonderful desserts, fudge and Thomas Jefferson’s own recipe for vanilla ice cream (it’s the best!), you are sure to have the best of company while dining there. After dinner, find a stop in the amphitheater and settle in for the moving and patriotic lighting ceremony. This 45-minute presentation takes you through the “why” for each president on the mountain and celebrates all that America is. It truly is a monumental experience.

There is so much to explore and encounter here in the beautiful Black Hills and all roads lead back to the monumental playground – Keystone – the home town of Mount Rushmore National Memorial!